The UK’s largest roofing trade association has urged homeowners to employ affiliated roofers after research found the sector was plagued by fear of rogue traders.

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) spoke out after a Which? survey of householders found only half thought roofers were trustworthy

Poor workmanship and “being taken for a ride” were labelled top concerns with 46% worried they would get “ripped off”.

Plumbers, carpenters and electricians were considered the most trustworthy with builders joining roofers at the bottom of the table.

James Talman, CEO from the NFRC said: “Roofers without the correct qualifications, proficiencies and dedication to quality and care do a disservice to the many true professionals within our industry.

“Finding roofers who have the necessary skills and expertise to carry out work safely and according to best practice has long been an issue in our industry and one we have been working hard to resolve.”

In November NFRC launched an industry-wide accreditation to protect and support the growth of the sector now and in the future.

This accreditation is the result of collaboration between the National Federation of Roofing Contractors and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and aims to improve efficiency, upskill the workforce and encourage the use of new technology.

NFRC also runs the Competent Roofer scheme, a government-authorised scheme which allows roofers to self-certify roof refurbishment work as compliant with Building Regulations in England and Wales.

James said: “Our advice to anyone searching for a roofer would be to avoid relying on review sites and don’t get sucked into saving the pennies with an unaffiliated individual.

“Instead search for roofers linked to trade federations like ours.

“Our members are subject to rigorous checks of their work, technical competency, skills and training.

Through this membership requirement they can clearly demonstrate their technical knowledge to competently carry out the work.  They come with a seal of approval which is much greater than an anonymous review online.”

To find an NFRC member visit https://www.nfrc.co.uk/search-members

Read this artivle on the Roofing Times web site.